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Albie's First Word

a Tale Inspired by Albert Einstein's Childhood
Feb 05, 2015mmcbeth29 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This is a story based loosely on the childhood of Albert Einstein. He did not speak even though his little sister did. He was otherwise normal. The doctor suggested bringing Albert to new places where he would be encouraged to ask questions. His parents took him to the symphony, to a scientific lecture, and a boat race. Albert enjoyed every experience, but he still did not speak. When his mother came up to tuck Albert in for the night, he was looking up at the stars. He looked at his mom and asked, "Why?" The illustrations are rendered in oil glaze and finished digitally. They have a different look making the people look like wax figures, but they are very interesting to look at. Although this story was only based on Albert Einstein's childhood, it is a wonderful portrayal of kids who do not talk because they are busy observing and thinking about all of the things around them. One of the best parts was how encouraging the parents and the doctor were throughout the story. The last page of the book gives a short biography of Einstein. This book is advertized for grades k-3. I think it may be a little abstract for the k-1 range, but they would still enjoy the pictures and the basic concept of the story.